South Santa Cruz County produced the only 20-win teams in the Central Coast Section Division III playoffs.
Their overall records, however, didn’t mean much when the CCS league reps sat down to determine the seeds.
For one team, anyway.
Aptos (20-6) and Pajaro Valley (20-4) were on opposite ends of the spectrum when the official postseason brackets were released on Wednesday night. The Mariners received the No. 1 seed in the D-III playoffs, and the Grizzlies were unseeded.
Aptos, the back-to-back Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League champion, won’t play until Tuesday’s quarterfinal round.
Pajaro Valley, the undefeated Pacific Coast Athletic League Santa Lucia division champion, will have to travel to San Mateo on Friday to take on No. 12 Hillsdale at 7 p.m.
The Fightin’ Knights hold a 9-15 overall record, and are ranked 28 spots below the Grizzlies in MaxPreps’ CCS rankings. Pajaro Valley, which features the state’s leading scorer, Jayleen Solorzano (29 points per game), is 40th in the section.
“It’s kind of like a slap in the face,” said Ceiba College Prep coach Randy Braga. “I know they play in a weaker league, but they’ve beat some good teams… Jayleen has some extra motivation now. That’s all she needs.”
Braga’s team, too, did not receive a seed in the CCS playoffs, but the Spartans’ placement in the Division V bracket was understandable.
Ceiba, a small Watsonville charter school in its second year of varsity competition, finished with an 8-4 overall record and took second in the PCAL-Arroyo behind Oakwood. The Spartans play No. 10 KIPP, a charter school from San Jose, on Friday at Independence High at 7 p.m.
“We’re happy to be in there,” Braga said. “I think if we play our game, we can hang with them.”
Ceiba was one of two Watsonville schools in the D-V bracket. St. Francis (11-12) was given the No. 3 seed after earning a share of the PCAL-Cypress division title this winter.
The Sharks are off until Tuesday’s quarterfinal round.
Monte Vista Christian (17-7), too, received a bye. The Mustangs, the No. 5 seed in D-IV, will host the winner of Pacific Grove and No. 12 The King’s Academy on Saturday at 7 p.m.
North Monterey County (12-9) won’t have the same schedule. Like Pajaro Valley, the Condors did not receive a seed, and they will be on the road in the first round of the D-III playoffs. They play at No. 9 Capuchino on Friday at 7 p.m.
The winner will move on to play No. 8 Live Oak the following day, and the victor of that matchup will travel to Aptos on Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. game.
The Mariners, ranked 13th in the CCS by MaxPreps, are looking for their third straight appearance in the D-III final. They won the title two seasons ago, and finished runner-up last winter.
Coach Chris Grieves said there is a bit of pressure on the team to follow through on its high ranking, but did not think it would knock his talented squad out of kilter.
“I think our last game against Soquel was one of the most complete games we’ve had in a long time,” Grieves said. “We do feel like we’re playing some of our best basketball at the right time.”
LOCAL CCS SCHEDULE
Friday
D-III >> Pajaro Valley at No. 12 Hillsdale, 7 p.m.
D-III >> N.M.C. at No. 9 Capuchino, 7 p.m.
D-V >> Ceiba at No. 10 KIPP, at Independence High small gym, 7 p.m.
Saturday
D-IV >> No. 5 M.V.C. vs TBD, 7 p.m.
Tuesday
D-III >> No. 1 Aptos vs TBD, 5:30 p.m.
D-V >> No. 3 St. Francis vs TBD, 5:30 pm.
